CHARLIE and Harry Tanfield return to their base in North Yorkshire this week, ready to take on whatever the British National Championships throw at them.

With Charlie part of Cornish team Saint Piran, but based in Manchester with the British Cycling track programme, and Harry racing in Europe with Dutch based TDT-UNIBET, the Great Ayton duo rarely get to race around the roads of their home county anymore, but they are looking to stake their claim on the British Championships this week.

The brothers are not there to have a procession around their local area, but instead are both out to get their hands on the coveted British champion’s jersey.

The National Championships will be something of a full circle moment in their career given that they started off as juniors in North Yorkshire and now find themselves fighting for the British stripes in their local backyard.

“I first started out racing in Teesside and on the Croft circuit as well, for the time trial,” said Charlie, the younger of the brothers by two years and a former team pursuit World champion. “That was where I first started racing, so it's going to be weird going back there to race because I've not been there since I was ten or 12 years old.”

Harry added: “I started racing down at South Bank on the go-kart track, which was a really good circuit.”

With the number amateur and elite level races dwindling in the UK, and especially in the North-East, the brothers outlined how important the Championships can be for the local area.

“I remember when Klondike GP first happened in 2017,” said Harry. “I couldn’t believe the amount of people on the side of the road. I just hope people get behind the Nationals, and I think they will.”

Saint Piran, who Charlie races for, are now the only pro-continental road racing team left in the UK, a sign of where the British racing scene is currently at.

“It's just a shame that there's no other teams around (in the UK),” said Harry. “There's no proper coverage of the events. The National Series is the National Series. To put an event on like that and the cost of doing that in the UK is astronomical. It's like 50 grand or more. You can see why no organisers will take that on.”

Charlie added: “I did the Lincoln GP this year and there were very few guys from up north. Yorkshire and the Northern areas have always been quite a stronghold for cyclists, but I just think it’s been difficult for organisers to put on the races. Hopefully, the Nationals here in the North-East can reinvigorate everyone again.”

Charlie kicks off his Nationals with tomorrow’s time trial at Croft Circuit on Wednesday - “I'd say if I get in the top five, that'd be an unbelievable performance” – but is most looking forward to Friday’s criterium around Redcar seafront.

Harry comes to the criterium in good form after racing in Holland for the past year with his TDT-UNIBET team, and has set his eyes on a positive result.

“I’m going to try and be in the breakaway and ride it smart,” he said. “Charlie can give me a hand round as well!”

Harry has been competing in criterium and one-day racing since moving to Holland from the UK when his former team, Ribble-Weldtite, folded last year.

“Because there’s a pro-race every week, there isn’t any training races,” he explained. “They’re all on two-kilometre cycle parks which have been designed to be raced on.

“I’ve done a few crits in Holland before coming home and I’m excited to be racing in the UK crits again since I haven’t raced in one since last year.”

Even though the brothers race competitively for two different teams, older brother Harry will help his family out during the National Championships.

“I’m doing Charlie's communication on the radio for TT and he’s going to use my TT bike as well, so yeah, I'm going to help out,” he said. “My brother (Toby) is coming back from Spain and he’s racing (the time trial) too, so we’ll help him too.”

Lining up against the best riders in the world doesn’t faze the brothers anymore, but Charlie still gives a lot of respect to some of the favourites in this year’s championships.

“When I was starting out and I got to line up against all the WorldTour riders it was so cool,” he said. “You can gauge yourself against these top riders and stuff.

“I'm a bit more experienced now, it's not really so much of a surprise but yeah, just to be able to race against the high-calibre riders (is great). G (Geraint Thomas) is iconic, he's one of the best UK riders that we’ve ever seen, it's just cool.”

After the Nationals, the two brothers will have different schedules. Harry will be taking a short break followed by a trip to Andorra in preparation for the Sibiu Cycling Tour, while with the World Championships and Olympics just around the corner, Charlie will be fully focused on the track side of racing after he’s done with the Road Championships.

“I've got Nationals, then I've got a training block which will lead me into the World Champs in August,” he said. “So that's the main goal.”